MySpace

The technology sector can be a cruel place. For consumers the next seven days are likely to make many of newly unwrapped gadgets feel distinctly average. Meanwhile tech companies will kick-off another year desperately trying to stay relevant – not all will succeed.

So before we bring you the latest and greatest products and services from CES let's take a look at what we feel will be most vulnerable over the next 12 months. Of course investment and redevelopment could pull some off our short list, but without this – and a large slice of luck – 2011 looks set to be an annus horribilis.

MySpace

It may have beaten Facebook to market, but the once powerful MySpace has been in freefall over the last 18 months and a sale, if not outright collapse, looks on the cards for 2011. Having passed the 100m member mark in 2006 the site had fallen to just 66m by June 2010. In response MySpace 8599 1905010 00.html cut 30 per cent of its workforce.

The value in MySpace remains as a hotbed for musical talent, but with Facebook membership at over 500m (expect that 600m press release any day now) it isn't attracting the user base to best exploit it. Where MySpace may have a future is in becoming a focused music service. Integration with Spotify/Amazon MP3 could be mutually beneficial, but Apple's Ping social network music service looks to be in equally bad shape and if iTunes integration isn't a big enough pull then what is left for MySpace?

Last year The Social Network garnered Facebook even more mainstream attention and success. Right now any movie about MySpace is only likely to centre on its demise.

Also for potentially for the chop: Bebo, Ping and Friends ReUnited. Meanwhile Flickr is losing momentum.